Dreamworld CEO addresses media

This is a 'critical part of Australian political history': Savva

Political commentator Niki Savva discusses her new book The Road to Ruin, How Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin destroyed their own government on the ABC's Insiders program. Vision courtesy ABC News 24.

Ms Credlin, who served as Mr Abbott's chief of staff, has penned an opinion piece for News Corp, to address the controversial new book by political commentator and former Howard government staffer Niki Savva which reveals the dysfunction of the former prime minister's office.

"Bile from Savva"

Road to Ruin quotes former staffers, including her one-time close friend and former press secretary Jane McMillan, who described Ms Credlin as a micro-managing bullying tyrant who held the prime minister's office hostage with her volatile moods. The book also says Ms Credlin sidelined Mr Abbott's wife Margie and vetted her invitations.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott and Ms Credlin pictured in New York in 2014. Photo: Andrew Meares

Ms Credlin responded with a ferocious attack on the the author whom she said wrote "bile" and did not contact her or Mr Abbott before publishing.

Ms Credlin said the majority of staff had worked for her and Mr Abbott during their six years in the Liberal leadership and doubted voters would care how she treated staff, given she had played a part in stopping the boats, repealing the carbon tax and fighting terrorism.

Niki Savva, author of the book, "Road to Ruin: How Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin Destroyed Their Own Government". Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

"Did anyone in the real world care that I was a tough operator?" Ms Credlin asked.

"I've never claimed that I got it right every time, but you don't survive 16 years in one of the toughest working environments around if you're not up to the job or don't have a good reputation," she said.

Completely false, utterly untrue, unfounded and wrong

Ms Credlin noted that Ms Savva's husband works for Malcolm Turnbull - who deposed Mr Abbott in a leadership coup in September last year - but doubted the Prime Minister would have authorised the content of the book.

She blamed "politically-motivated warring camps" within the Liberal party for driving the stories and said she was "dismayed" to see the Liberal party following Labor's example in tearing itself apart.

"Her book Road to Ruin is billed as 'explaining' why the man elected by the Australian people as their prime minister was removed from office. Yet we all know that's a farce. The book is an attempt to justify the coup."